When using an imaging medical diagnostic equipment for examining a patient positionable on a table top of a patient table, patient data, in particular the patient's body posture on the table top and/or the patient's body dimensions are relevant both for carrying out the procedure and for subsequent evaluation. A number of examples of this relevance of patient data are given below.
The patient can be examined on the table top in various body postures, e.g. on his stomach or back or on his left or right side, the diagnostic equipment having to be adjusted on the one hand according to the relevant posture and, on the other, said posture having to be taken into account for subsequent evaluation. Not taking the body posture sufficiently into account can result in imprecise positioning of a particular area to be examined, so that any image produced during the examination in question cannot be used for diagnosis. In addition, for diagnosis of the image, paying inadequate attention to the body posture can result in an incorrect diagnosis, e.g. one relating to an incorrect part of the body.
In addition, the patient's particular body dimensions such as his weight distribution or his body shape are also relevant to the examination, since in the case of an x-ray examination, for example, the thickness and nature of a body part to be x-rayed must be taken into account for setting the radiation parameters. Insufficiently allowing for the body dimensions may result in an image that is low in contrast and possibly unusable for a diagnosis and, in the case of an x-ray examination, may increase the patient's radiation load.